Electbic toaster



Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,336 .1. lg... sHRoYl-:R

ELECTRIC 'vIOASTER Filed June 1l, 1923 Fig. l.

Inventor:

Jacob L. Shroger; 1MM

Hsflttorneg.

lo ple, reliable and efficient evice of this char- Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB L. SHROYEB, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB TO EDISON ELECTRIC APPLI- AN CE COMPANY, INCORPORATED, 0F CHICAGO, ILLIN 01B, A CORPORATION OI' NEW YORK.

' ELECTRIC Applicatio iled June 11,

To all whom 'it may concern.' v

Be it known that I, JACOB L. SHROYEB, a citizen of thev United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Electric Toasters, of which le followin is a specification.

M invention re ates to electric toasters and as for its object the rovision of a simacter.

More specifically my invention relates to vtoasters of the type provided with a plurality of arallel s aced heating devices be- 16 tween which the s ice is placed so as to be toasted on both sides at the same time. Such toasters may be provided with any desired number of heating devices for toasting a corres onding number of slices. -In .a common orm of this toaster, baskets', forming l and removal ofthe slice.

slice holders, are pivotally mounted between the heating devices in such manner as to be movable out of the toasting position between the heating devices to permit the Winsertion In carrying out my invention I provide guards for the heating devices which at the same time ac t as sides for the slice holding. means. Pivotally mounted between each pair of guards is a supporting member which normally is 1n al horizontal position to support the slice' while toasting, an'd which can be moved about its pivot so as to throw out the slice. f;

Forl a more complete understanding.` of my invention reference should be had to the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1' is a rspective'view of an electric toaster .em-

dying my invention, while Fig. 2 1s y a vertical section view of the toaster shown in Fi 1. y

eferring to the drawing, the toaster 10 in one form of my inventlon comprises a plurality of-heating devices 11 mounted in a suitable supporting casing 12. These heating devices are mounted vertically `and 1n spaced and parallel relation, thev spacebetween each adjacent pair of devices being substantially equal to the width of the average slice of bread to be-toasted. Between adjacent pairs of heating devices near their lower edges are supporting members 13 for the slice. These suplliorting members are in the form of straight ars. They preferably A'plurality of vertical heating TOABTEB.

1988. Serial lo. 644,527.

' supporting member projects for a shortI distance from between the heating devices and forms a handle 17 by means of which the supportmg member may be moved about its pivot. A strap member 18 is provided for supporting the rear end of each supporting member. This member has a projection 19 forming a stop or rest for the inner end of the supporting member when it is in a horizontal position. The upper portion 20 of the member acts as a stop for `the back edge of the slice. 4

- The heating devices 11 e'achcomprise a suitable sheathed wire heating unit 21 which is bent back and forth in zigzag form and threaded through vertical supporting bars 22 .and 23 situated `near the ends of` the various loops of the unit and forming art vof a supporting framework therefor. he upper ends ofthe bars 22 and'23 are secured to the horizontal portion 24*l of a right anglev 'to a horizontally extending member 25 have ing its left hand end secured'to member 24. ard rods 26 are provided on each side o the heating unit secured at their upperl and lower ends' to the members 24 and 25 respectively. The inneror right hand ends of the members 24 and 25 are connected by an u right plate member 27 which engages wit the back wall 28 of the supporting casing 10. As shown, each evic'e 11 is secured to the ,cas' 10 by means of two screws or bolts 29 an `30, bolt 29 passin member 27 an wall 28 and bolt 30 passing through the lower end yof member 24 and a transversely extending bar 31 secured to casing 10. `Onthe lower end of member 27 is a laterally extending lug 27 which ts in an aperture in wall 28. The terminals 32 and through the upper endof 33 for the heating element 21 project from the back side of the casing and are protected from grease and other deposits by the over; hanging portion 34 of the` casing. It will be observed that the heating devices comprising the sheathed wire heating units and their supporting framework thus form unitary structures which are easily removable for repair or renewal independently of each other by disconnecting the terminals and removing bolts 29 and 30.

Movement of the outer end 17 of each supporting member 13 is limited by means of a stop 35 secured to bar 31 underneath the supporting member. Each of these stops is provided with a pair of lugs 36 which fit etween the lugs 14 on the supporting member in the manner of a hinge and act as supports -for the common' pivot rod 15.

In the lower part of the toaster is a com- .partment 37 for suitable control switches for controlling the ating devices. As shown two control switches operated by handles 38 and 39 from the front of the toaster are rovided whereby the heating devices are ivided into two groups which may be controlled independently of each other. A crumb tray 40 is provided underneath the heating'. elements. It is removable from the front of the toaster.

In the operation of the toaster the guard rods 26 on two adjacent heating devices act as side supports for a slice placed between them, the slice resting at' the bottom on the supporting member 13. When it is desired to remove a slice of bread which has been toasted to the proper degree, the outer end 17 of the supporting member is quickly depressed or struck downward, whereby the slice is thrown from the toaster. It will be observed that the toast can be removed muchv easier and more quickly than with previous devices. The toast can be removed with one hand while with the basket for the slice, for example, both hands may be required.

For the purpose of giving the supporting member a` uicker action in throwing out the slice, an for preventing rebound of the slice holder when it is returned to horizontal position, the upper end 20 of member 18 may be arranged to frictionally'engage the inner end of the sup-porting member. I have found that this construction is not essential for satisfactory operation, however.

While I have described my invention as embodied in concrete form and las opera-tlng in a specific manner in accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, it

yshould be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modi- 'ications thereof will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth 'in the annexed claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An electric toaster comprising a plurality of electric heating devices arranged in substantially vertical parallel planes, guards .carried by said heating devices forming side supports for a slice placed between said heating devices, and a member movably mounted between said heatin devices forming a bottom support for the s ice, said member being movable between said heating devices to eject the slice.-

2. An electric toaster comprising a plurality of electric heating devices arranged substantially vertically 'in spaced relation, guards carried by said heating devices forming side supports for a slice placed on edge between said heating devices, and a normally horizontal bar pivotally mounted between said heating devices forming a bottom support for the slice, one end of said bar projecting from between said heating devices, whereby said projecting end may be struck downward and the slice support` ing portion of said bar thereby thrown up ward on its pivot to eject theslice.

3. An electric toaster comprising a plurality Vof electric heating devices arranged substantially vertically in spaced relation, guards carried by said heating devices formlng side supports for a slice placed on edge Y between said heating devices, a normally horizontal bar pivotally mounted between said heating devices forming a bottom support for the slice, a rest for the inner end of said bar, the outer end of said bar projecting from between said heating devices whereby said outer end may be struck downward and the inner portion of said bar thereby thrown upward to eject the slice, and a stop for .limiting the movement of said bar.

4. An electric toastercomprising an open ront casing, a supporting member extending across the front of said casing, a pair of vertically arranged electric heating devices detachably secured to said member and casing in spaced relation, guards carried by said heating devices forming side supports for a slice placed on edge between said heating devices, a normally horizontal bar forming a bottom support for the slice pivotally mounted near vits outer'end on said supporting member, the outer end of said bar projecting from between said heatino devices -to form a handle, whereby said handle may be struck downward and the slice supporting portion of said bar thereby thrown upward on its pivot to eject the slice at the end of thetoasting operation, a stop for limiting the movement of said bar on its pivot in ejecting the slice, and

a rest for the inner end of said bar provided with an extension forming a stop for the rear edge of the slice. K

:,uaaac w 5. An electric toaster comprising an open between said heating devices, and a stop front casing a supporting member extendcarried by said member for limiting the in across t e front of said casing, a plumovement of said slice support thereon. 10 ra ity of electric heating devices detachably In witness whereof, I have hereunto set l secured to said member and casing in upjmy hand this23 day of May, 1923.

right spaced relation, a slice support pivotally mounted on said member and movable v JACOB L. SHROYER. 

